Nearly three years ago, an auto accident on a New Jersey highway took the life of a 29-year-old father. The car crash led to a wrongful death lawsuit, which was recently settled by the parties involved.
According to a news report the lawsuit, filed in March 2012, was settled for $2.55 million. The suit was filed on behalf of the estate of the victim against the driver and the auto dealer.
The car accident happened when a car driven by the 29-year old defendant veered off the road. Court documents claimed that the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tractor-trailer. The victim was a passenger in the car, an Infinity G37.
Both occupants of the car were extricated from the vehicle and transported to a local hospital. The victim suffered injuries to major organs, which was consistent with a high-impact crash and died in the hospital more than two hours after the crash. He left behind a wife and two young daughters.
The majority of the settlement was paid by the insurer for the owner and lessee of the car, which agreed to pay $2.5 million. The driver’s insurance company contributed $50,000, likely the limits of the policy, to settle the case.
Losing a loved one due to negligence can be heartbreaking for the victim’s family. However, as this case shows, a wrongful death lawsuit can provide a measure of justice for a life lost. The wrongful death claim may also compensate for the family’s emotional and economic damages.
Source: SiLive, “$2.55 million settlement for family of Staten Island man killed in N.J. crash,” Frank Donnelly, Feb. 16, 2014